WTF Free?????

What in the hell is going on so I have spent money from as far back as cakewalk, to 8.5 all the way up to a lifetime member and Bandlab just gives it away for free????? I was told the free version is the latest version of Splat minus 3rd party plugins WTF again I say! That has to the ultimate middle finger to loyal members of this DAW!

BMOG
What in the hell is going on so I have spent money from as far back as cakewalk, to 8.5 all the way up to a lifetime member and Bandlab just gives it away for free????? I was told the free version is the latest version of Splat minus 3rd party plugins WTF again I say! That has to the ultimate middle finger to loyal members of this DAW!

I'm not sure I understand your post.  Do you feel other should have to pay as much as you did to use Cakewalk?  Is that your gripe?

This is another example of the "How come they?" mentality many Americans suffer from. The original poster probably would not have had a problem receiving the product for free as a loyal paying costumer....but as far as everyone else?..."How come they get it for free too?" is what's really being asked here.

In it's way, it really is a nice touch to add to the Bandlab arena. Giving Bandlab users a top of the line DAW might help many of the users if it's free service.

Meng could have chosen the pure capitalist approach and charged everyone from day 1. The company that sold you your previous version no longer exists and he is not required to adhere to any of their' promises.

I think it's a very magnanimous event! I hope this leads to lots of future success for him in turn.

I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.  You can't maintain software by just giving it away for free.  There has to be a source of income.  I just hope it's not in the form of banner ads placed within Cakewalk (Sonar) itself.
There's nothing like getting your creative juices flowing while watching banner ads scroll through your DAW.
 

mritenburg

BMOG
What in the hell is going on so I have spent money from as far back as cakewalk, to 8.5 all the way up to a lifetime member and Bandlab just gives it away for free????? I was told the free version is the latest version of Splat minus 3rd party plugins WTF again I say! That has to the ultimate middle finger to loyal members of this DAW!

I'm not sure I understand your post.  Do you feel other should have to pay as much as you did to use Cakewalk?  Is that your gripe?

I feel if Bandlab wanted to give away a version for free strip it down so that the free version does not have the same capabilities as the full version. What is the point of every purchasing the software then?

Have I missed something here? You get a cut down new version free, but are able to continue to use your bought full version plus all your 3rd party bought plugins etc. in tandem. Is that right?

The BandLab users now get to use a mini Sonar, will love it, and then BandLab will develop it. If you don't like what they do, you continue to use what you have bought.

I bought a lovely new car two years ago, but the manufacturer sold out and the new guys have since brought out a new improved model - I am entitled to a new car? I think not.

jmasno5
I will admit this was first reaction too, WTF. However, if bandlab keeps it updated I'll be happy. Still new free owners do not have all the cool stuff I received as addons when I purchased Sonar. This is what I tell myself anyway... let's face it, the product needs a lot of fresh blood to continue. The more users the better. I'm looking for it to be the ultimate DAW someday. So, I'm going with it. Let's see what happens.
Oh yeah, the new piano roll looks great!

This DAW will never get in the class of the Ultimate DAW until the fully embrace the MAC OS world, they do that then there is a chance. Most major studios are using some MAC OS DAW over windows that I have come in contact with

Sir William
Have I missed something here? You get a cut down new version free, but are able to continue to use your bought full version plus all your 3rd party bought plugins etc. in tandem. Is that right?

The BandLab users now get to use a mini Sonar, will love it, and then BandLab will develop it. If you don't like what they do, you continue to use what you have bought.

I bought a lovely new car two years ago, but the manufacturer sold out and the new guys have since brought out a new improved model - I am entitled to a new car? I think not.

Car comparison does not quite work here but I get what you are saying, if you had paid off your car and then you found out the dealer was giving that model car away for free then we are on the same page. If my understanding is correct all the free version is missing is 3rd party plugins. To me that is still a great DAW better than the 8.5 version of Sonar again I say how much more development can really be made other than continued adding of plugins with Sonar.

BMOG

fresh101
This is another example of the "How come they?" mentality many Americans suffer from. The original poster probably would not have had a problem receiving the product for free as a loyal paying costumer....but as far as everyone else?..."How come they get it for free too?" is what's really being asked here.

I am American and proud of it, if that means I want my hard earned dollars to count for something then I am guilty as charged. I have paid for every version since cakewalk, which paid the developers that created the latest version of Splat. So yes I fee others should not get for free what my invested dollars have paid for, give them a baseline version but not the latest and greatest

I guess this is a cultural thing. I'm not American, so personally I'm fine with Cakewalk being free, but I work with Americans every day and for an American company, so I do understand the difference in attitude and why you feel the way you do. Meng is from Singapore and was educated in the UK, where many have a different attitude to money.
 
I look at this way:
1. I too paid for Cakewalk as far back as Pro Audio 7 and at least every other version since. I got what I paid for at the time, I got good use out of it, so I'm happy with that.
 
2. Sonar Artist (with a few minor exceptions) was not very different from Platinum - it was the bundled plugins that made the difference which aren't being made available with BL Cakewalk. So this is effectively the baseline version.
 
3. You've still got everything you paid for in the past, and all the bundled plugins you got with your previous versions are available in BL Cakewalk. New users won't have those.
 
4. I fully expect the missing Cakewalk instruments/pro channel effects etc to become available at some point, and these we will have to pay for. I'm still gutted I didn't buy the PK4S Channel Compressor so I'm hoping this becomes available for purchase soon.
 
5. Most important... you can spend the money you're not spending on BL Cakewalk on more plugins/instruments/hardware :)
 
M.

jmasno5
I will admit this was first reaction too, WTF. However, if bandlab keeps it updated I'll be happy. Still new free owners do not have all the cool stuff I received as addons when I purchased Sonar. This is what I tell myself anyway... let's face it, the product needs a lot of fresh blood to continue. The more users the better. I'm looking for it to be the ultimate DAW someday. So, I'm going with it. Let's see what happens.
Oh yeah, the new piano roll looks great!

Yes... and we've had it for years longer than any new users!

Love the new PRV colors too!

msmcleod

BMOG

fresh101
This is another example of the "How come they?" mentality many Americans suffer from. The original poster probably would not have had a problem receiving the product for free as a loyal paying costumer....but as far as everyone else?..."How come they get it for free too?" is what's really being asked here.

I am American and proud of it, if that means I want my hard earned dollars to count for something then I am guilty as charged. I have paid for every version since cakewalk, which paid the developers that created the latest version of Splat. So yes I fee others should not get for free what my invested dollars have paid for, give them a baseline version but not the latest and greatest

I guess this is a cultural thing. I'm not American, so personally I'm fine with Cakewalk being free, but I work with Americans every day and for an American company, so I do understand the difference in attitude and why you feel the way you do. Meng is from Singapore and was educated in the UK, where many have a different attitude to money.
 
I look at this way:
1. I too paid for Cakewalk as far back as Pro Audio 7 and at least every other version since. I got what I paid for at the time, I got good use out of it, so I'm happy with that.
 
2. Sonar Artist (with a few minor exceptions) was not very different from Platinum - it was the bundled plugins that made the difference which aren't being made available with BL Cakewalk. So this is effectively the baseline version.
 
3. You've still got everything you paid for in the past, and all the bundled plugins you got with your previous versions are available in BL Cakewalk. New users won't have those.
 
4. I fully expect the missing Cakewalk instruments/pro channel effects etc to become available at some point, and these we will have to pay for. I'm still gutted I didn't buy the PK4S Channel Compressor so I'm hoping this becomes available for purchase soon.
 
5. Most important... you can spend the money you're not spending on BL Cakewalk on more plugins/instruments/hardware :)
 
M.

Well said and you make my other point what I have paid for is GREAT! If there is no more updates I am good, I don't using many virtual instruments more real instruments.  I guess it also depends on how you use the DAW as well